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Los Angeles Knight Riders: clean up

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	The Los Angeles Knight Riders of [[Major League Cricket]] serve as the main tenant of the stadium.~~<ref name=":1" />~~<ref name=":2">{{cite web \|last=Lockard \|first=Melissa \|date=March 20, 2026 \|title=Oakland Coliseum to host Major League Cricket playoffs, title match in July \|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/03/20/oakland-coliseum-to-host-major-league-cricket-playoffs-title-match-in-july/ \|access-date=March 21, 2026 \|newspaper=[[The Mercury News]]}}</ref>		The Los Angeles Knight Riders of [[Major League Cricket]] serve as the main tenant of the stadium.<ref name=":2">{{cite web \|last=Lockard \|first=Melissa \|date=March 20, 2026 \|title=Oakland Coliseum to host Major League Cricket playoffs, title match in July \|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/03/20/oakland-coliseum-to-host-major-league-cricket-playoffs-title-match-in-july/ \|access-date=March 21, 2026 \|newspaper=[[The Mercury News]]}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

	== See also ==		== See also ==

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{{Short description|Cricket ground at Fairplex in Pomona, California, US}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2026}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2026}}
{{Infobox stadium
| name = Knight Riders Cricket Ground
| nickname =
| image = Knight Riders Cricket Field aerial view.png
| image_size = 300px
| location = Fairplex, 1101 W McKinley Ave [[Pomona, California|Pomona]], [[California]], United States
| coordinates = {{coord|34|05|11|N|117|45|59|W|display=inline,title}}
| opened = July 1, 2026
| owner = Los Angeles County Fair Association (Fairplex)
| operator = [[Knight Riders Group]]
| surface = [[Grass]]
| tenants = [[Los Angeles Knight Riders]] ([[Major League Cricket|MLC]]) (2026–present)
| capacity =
}}
{{Infobox
| header1 = Knight Riders Group
| header2 = Current Teams
| data3 = [[Kolkata Knight Riders]] (2008–present) [[Trinbago Knight Riders]] (2015–present) [[Trinbago Knight Riders (WCPL)|Trinbago Knight Riders Women]] (2022–present) [[Abu Dhabi Knight Riders]] (2023–present) [[Los Angeles Knight Riders]] (2023–present)
| header4 = Stadium
| data5 = '''Knight Riders Cricket Ground''' (2026–present)
| header6 =
| data7 =
}}

'''Knight Riders Cricket Ground''' is a [[Ground (cricket)|cricket ground]] at the [[Fairplex]] in [[Pomona, California|Pomona]], [[California]], serving as the home stadium of the [[Los Angeles Knight Riders]] of [[Major League Cricket]] (MLC). It opened in July 2026 and is expected to host the [[Cricket at the 2028 Summer Olympics|Twenty20 cricket tournaments]] during the [[2028 Summer Olympics]] in Los Angeles.

== History ==

=== Initial plans, cricket at the Olympics ===
In November 2020, the [[Knight Riders Group]]—led by Bollywood actor [[Shah Rukh Khan]]—made an investment in the then-upcoming U.S. [[Twenty20]] (T20) league [[Major League Cricket]] (MLC), and was granted ownership rights to the Los Angeles franchise that would become the [[Los Angeles Knight Riders]]. Khan stated that he was "closely watching the potential" for T20 in the United States as part of his efforts to grow the Knight Riders brand globally.<ref>{{cite news |last=Penna |first=Peter Della |date=November 30, 2020 |title=Knight Riders Group buys stake in USA T20 franchise project Major League Cricket |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/knight-riders-group-buys-stake-in-usa-t20-franchise-project-major-league-cricket-1240512 |access-date=March 21, 2026 |website=[[ESPNcricinfo]]}}</ref>

In March 2022, MLC parent company [[Major League Cricket|American Cricket Enterprises]] (ACE) announced plans to invest US$110 million into new and existing U.S. cricket grounds to serve as home stadiums for MLC teams in the future. The Knight Riders proposed the construction of a 10,000-seat stadium at the [[Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena|Great Park]] sports complex in [[Irvine, California|Irvine]], [[California]], which was reported to have an estimated cost of $30 million. The stadium was proposed as a site for international cricket events such as [[International Cricket Council|ICC]] tournaments (including the then-upcoming [[2024 Men's T20 World Cup]] co-hosted by the United States), as well as a proposal for cricket to be contested at the [[2028 Summer Olympics]] in Los Angeles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Della Penna |first=Peter |date=March 18, 2022 |title=USA T20 franchise league MLC projected to spend $110 million on facilities ahead of 2023 launch |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/usa-t20-franchise-league-mlc-projected-to-spend-110-million-on-facilities-ahead-of-2023-launch-1306255 |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-04-29 |title=MLC, Knight Riders team up for 10,000-seat stadium near Los Angeles |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/mlc-and-shah-rukh-khan-owned-knight-riders-group-team-up-for-10000-seat-stadium-near-los-angeles-1312838 |access-date=2026-05-09 |website=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-04-30 |title=Shah Rukh Khan's Knight Riders and MLC to build cricket stadium in Los Angeles |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/ipl/top-stories/shah-rukh-khans-knight-riders-and-mlc-to-build-cricket-stadium-in-los-angeles/articleshow/91200856.cms |access-date=2026-05-09 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

In the meantime, MLC launched with a neutral site model, with most matches played at the [[Grand Prairie Stadium]]—a former baseball stadium in [[Grand Prairie, Texas|Grand Prairie]], Texas that had been purchased by ACE and converted to a cricket-specific facility; the stadium is intended as the home stadium of the [[Texas Super Kings]]. The league has occasionally played matches outside of Grand Prairie, including at [[Church Street Park]], [[Central Broward Park]], and the [[Oakland Coliseum]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Della Penna |first=Peter |date=November 15, 2022 |title=Major League Cricket set for July 2023 launch in Dallas |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/major-league-cricket-set-for-july-2023-launch-in-dallas-1345063 |access-date=November 15, 2022 |website=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Penna |first=Peter Della |date=March 19, 2026 |title=LA Knight Riders to play MLC 2026 matches at own venue in Pomona, California |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/la-knight-riders-to-play-mlc-2026-matches-at-own-venue-in-pomona-california-1528393 |access-date=March 21, 2026 |website=[[ESPNcricinfo]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=February 21, 2023 |title=Steve Smith reportedly looking to join $174 million Major League Cricket next year |url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/steve-smith-reportedly-looking-to-join-174-million-major-league-cricket-next-year/news-story/13d69b3350d06718ae3bfd9a3c87d883 |access-date=February 21, 2023 |work=[[Fox Sports (Australia)|Fox Sports]]}}</ref>

In October 2023, the [[International Olympic Committee]] (IOC) approved the addition of T20 cricket and four other sports to the 2028 Summer Olympics' program, marking the first time cricket will be contested as an Olympic event since [[Cricket at the 1900 Summer Olympics|1900]].<ref name="new sports">{{Cite news |title=IOC approves five additional sports for LA 2028 Olympics, including cricket |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2023/10/16/ioc-la-2028-olympics-cricket-flag-football-lacrosse-squash-baseball |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016100354/https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2023/10/16/ioc-la-2028-olympics-cricket-flag-football-lacrosse-squash-baseball |archive-date=October 16, 2023 |access-date=October 16, 2023 |work=[[Al Jazeera English]] |location=[[Doha]] |language=en}}</ref> In April 2025, the [[Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games]] (LAOCOG) announced that cricket would take place at a temporary cricket ground constructed at the [[Fairplex]], similar to the [[Nassau County International Cricket Stadium]] constructed near New York City for the [[2024 Men's T20 World Cup]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2025-04-15 |title=LA 2028: Olympic cricket tournament will be played in a California fairground as New York overlooked |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/articles/ceqryqrg7djo |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=April 15, 2025 |title=Fairgrounds in Pomona to host cricket at LA28 Olympics |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/cricket-venue-revealed-for-la28-olympics-1481487 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250416194725/https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/cricket-venue-revealed-for-la28-olympics-1481487 |archive-date=April 16, 2025 |access-date=April 16, 2025 |website=ESPNcricInfo}}</ref> In August 2025, it was reported that the Fairplex was negotiating with the Knight Riders Group to fund a permanent facility instead, which could be used by the Los Angeles Knight Riders, and expanded with temporary seating for the Olympics.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lavalette |first=Tristan |title=Olympic Stadium In Spotlight Amid American Cricket Chaos As 2028 Los Angeles Looms |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/tristanlavalette/2025/08/25/olympic-stadium-in-spotlight-amid-american-cricket-chaos-as-2028-los-angeles-looms/ |access-date=2026-05-09 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref>

=== Construction ===
On March 19, 2026, the Knight Riders Group announced that they had leased land at the Fairplex to construct a cricket stadium known as the Knight Riders Cricket Ground, which will serve as the Los Angeles Knight Riders' home stadium, and is expected to host cricket during the 2028 Summer Olympics.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":4">{{cite news |last=Penna |first=Peter Della |date=March 19, 2026 |title=LA Knight Riders to play MLC 2026 matches at own venue in Pomona, California |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/la-knight-riders-to-play-mlc-2026-matches-at-own-venue-in-pomona-california-1528393 |access-date=March 21, 2026 |website=[[ESPNcricinfo]]}}</ref>

Construction of the $21 million stadium began with a groundbreaking ceremony on April 26, 2026, attended by Pomona mayor Tim Sandoval, Fairplex president and CEO Walter Marquez, Knight Riders Sports CEO [[Venky Mysore]], LAOCOG vice president of sports [[Niccolò Campriani]], and ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta among other figures.<ref name="icc-groundbreaking">{{cite news |date=April 22, 2026 |title=ICC celebrates LA28 stadium construction milestone |url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/icc-celebrates-la28-stadium-construction-milestone |access-date=April 23, 2026 |website=[[International Cricket Council]]}}</ref> It is anticipated to be completed by July 2026, being scheduled to host seven matches (including three Knight Riders matches) as part of the [[2026 Major League Cricket season|2026 MLC season]].<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":4" /> Upon its completion, it will become the second cricket stadium developed for MLC behind Grand Prairie Stadium.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2026-04-24 |title=Knight Riders break ground on $21 million LA venue for cricket's Olympic return |url=https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/138520/knight-riders-break-ground-on-21-million-la-venue-for-crickets-olympic-return-cricbuzzcom |access-date=2026-05-09 |website=Cricbuzz}}</ref> The stadium will initially seat up to 5,000 spectators, but will be expanded to 12,000 seats by 2027, and then 15,000 by 2028 for the Olympics.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-04-24 |title=LA 2028: Olympic cricket venue 'on agenda' for IPL expansion into USA |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/articles/c4g81328ye8o |access-date=2026-04-25 |website=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2026-04-23 |title=Cricket arrives in Pomona with field, major league team and Olympics venue at the Fairplex |url=https://www.dailybulletin.com/2026/04/22/cricket-arrives-in-pomona-with-field-major-league-team-and-olympics-venue-at-the-fairplex/ |access-date=2026-04-23 |website=San Gabriel Valley Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref>

Khan stated that the project aims to "create not just a cricket ground, but a space of energy, community, and belonging."<ref name=":1" /> [[List of presidents of the International Cricket Council|ICC president]] [[Jay Shah]] stated that the grounds were "an important milestone in cricket's return to the Olympics and is a proud moment for all ICC members and stakeholders worldwide. We're confident this venue will take center stage during the Games and leave a legacy for cricket in the USA."<ref name=":1" />

===Opening===
The stadium opened on July 1, 2026 with the Knight Riders playing their first home game in the stadium. The first match welcomes around 2,000 spectators to the stadium.<ref>[https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-knight-riders-cricket-field-65b7f94726a6b33d16ca675aa0f9fdc9 First cricket game in new Los Angeles stadium builds Olympic buzz]</ref>

== Tenants ==

=== Los Angeles Knight Riders ===
{{main|Los Angeles Knight Riders}}

The Los Angeles Knight Riders of [[Major League Cricket]] serve as the main tenant of the stadium.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{cite web |last=Lockard |first=Melissa |date=March 20, 2026 |title=Oakland Coliseum to host Major League Cricket playoffs, title match in July |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/03/20/oakland-coliseum-to-host-major-league-cricket-playoffs-title-match-in-july/ |access-date=March 21, 2026 |newspaper=[[The Mercury News]]}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Venues of the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.espncricinfo.com/westindies/content/ground/1528527.html Knight Riders Cricket Ground] at [[Cricinfo]]
{{2028 Summer Olympic venues}}
{{Los Angeles Knight Riders}}

[[Category:Venues of the 2028 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic cricket venues]]
[[Category:Cricket grounds in the United States]]
[[Category:Sports venues in California]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Pomona, California]]
[[Category:Sports in Los Angeles County, California]]
[[Category:2026 establishments in California]]
[[Category:Red Chillies Entertainment]]

Knight Riders Cricket Ground - Revision history

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